The present invention relates to a cover device for a drink container having a rim. The invention relates particularly, but not exclusively, to a cover device which provides a temporary cover for a drink container to prevent interference with the contents of the container .

Interference with drinks , for example adding alcohol or another drug to a drink without the owner' s consent, is a particular problem in environments such as nightclubs and bars , in which a drinker may leave a drink unattended .

It is known to combat this problem by using chemical testing kits , which can detect the presence of certain drugs , such as Rohypnol™ in a drink . However, such chemical testing kits are generally directed towards the detection of only certain types of drug in a drink, and as such cannot check for the presence of all drugs . Moreover, such chemical testing kits do not generally detect the presence of unwanted alcohol in a drink, and are not convenient to use in a nightclub or bar situation .

It is also known to provide an access-limiting device for a drink container in the form of a key-operated cover which slips onto the top of a bottle or a glass containing a drink, and which may only be removed by the owner of the drink who carries the key . If the cover is removed, it provides the user with a visual indication that the drink may have been tampered with . Despite being a useful means of preventing tampering with a drink, such a key-operated cover is time consuming to

operate, and is cumbersome in that it must be carried from place to place by a user .

It is an obj ect of the present invention to provide a cover device for a drink container which overcomes or at least alleviates the above-mentioned disadvantages .

It is in particular an obj ect of the present invention to provide a cover device for a drink container, which is both quick and easy to use, and which provides a user with protection against drink tampering .

According to the present invention there is provided a cover device for a drink container having an entrance and a rim, the device comprising an open-ended body for covering the rim of a drink container, adhering means for adhering an end of the body around the entrance to the drink container adj acent said rim, and perforation means for perforating the body to allow access to the entrance to the drink container .

This provides the advantage that, in the event that a user is to leave a drink unattended, the cover device may be conveniently slipped over the drink container, and than adhered to the drink container to cover the drink container and prevent tampering with the drink . When the user returns to his or her drink, he or she simply uses the perforation means to perforate the body to allow access to the drink . This provides the further advantage that a user is provided with a visual indication that the drink may have been tampered with during his or her absence .

In a preferred embodiment, the perforation means is adapted to enable removal of part of the body from said adhering means .

Preferably, the perforation means comprises a tear-off strip around the periphery of the body .

The perforation means may comprise a perforated line running longitudinally from the open end of the body .

The adhering means may comprise a self-adhesive strip disposed adj acent the end of the body and around at least part of the inner periphery of the body, and a peel-off cover strip .

The adhering means may comprise a plurality of self- adhesive pads disposed at intervals adj acent the inner periphery of the body .

The adhering means may comprise a strap attached at one end to the body and having a free end comprising a self- adhesive portion for attaching the free end of the strap to a portion of the body .

The cover device may further comprise a handle attached to the body .

The cover device may further comprise a self-adhesive label attached to the body bearing information about a user of the device .

The body of the cover device may be made from a material which reflects heat , for example, aluminium foil .

This provides the advantage that a cold drink covered by the cover device is kept cool for longer, even when it is placed in direct sunlight . Moreover, this provides the advantage that a hot drink covered by the cover device is kept hot for longer .

The body of the cover device may include an aperture through which a drinking straw locates .

This provides the advantage that a user may continue drinking their drink even when the cover device is in situ on the drink container .

Preferably, the drinking straw is arranged such that it includes a U-bend along its length .

This provides the advantage that a user may continue drinking their drink when the cover device is in situ on the drink container, but tampering by way of adding a liquid of some kind to the drink through the straw is substantially prevented on account of the U-bend in the straw .

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which : -

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a cover device of a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a cover device of a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a cover device of a third embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a cover device of a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a cover device of a fifth embodiment of the present invention .

With reference to Figure 1 , a cover device 2 includes a body 4 which is closed at one end 6. The body 4 is made from plastics material such as clear polyethylene, and is substantially flat until placed over a drink container such as a glass or bottle (not shown) . It is to be appreciated however, that the body of the cover device may alternatively be made from a material which reflects heat , for example, aluminium foil . In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 , the body 4 of the cover device 2 is shaped and sized such that it fits over a typical half- pint glass .

The device 2 also includes an adhering means in the form of a self-adhesive strip 8 with a cover strip (not shown) disposed around the inner periphery of the open end 12 of the body 4. Whilst the Figure shows a self-adhesive strip 8 which is disposed around the complete inner periphery of the open end 12 of the body 4 , it is to be appreciated that the adhering means may alternatively be in the form of a number of discrete adhesive pads disposed intermittently around the inner periphery of the open end 12 of the body .

The device 2 further includes a perforation means in the form of a tear-off strip 14 , which runs around the

periphery of the body 4 about half way up the body 4 and to one side of the self-adhesive strip 8 remote from the open end 12 of the body 4. The device 2 further includes a handle 16 attached to the end 6 of the body 4 , and a self-adhesive label 18 bearing information about the owner of the drink, such as the owner' s name . Alternatively, the self-adhesive label 18 may bear information about the drink inside the drink container .

In the event that a user wishes to leave his drink unattended for any reason, he simply urges the open end 12 of the body 4 open, places the device 2 over the top of the drink container, e . g . a glass , removes the cover strip from the self-adhesive strip 8 , and presses the body 4 against the glass so that the self-adhesive strip 8 sticks to the glass , to maintain the device 2 ^' in place . The entrance to the user' s drink is then covered by the device 2 , and adding alcohol or another drug is substantially prevented .

When the user returns to his drink, he simply identifies it as his own by way of the self-adhesive label 18 , and then pulls the tear-off strip 14 around the periphery of the body 4 so that the portion 20 of the body 4 which is adhered to the glass remains adhered, but the remaining portion 22 of the body 4 is separated from the portion 20 , leaving it free to be removed from the glass , to allow access to the entrance to the user' s drink .

The embodiment of the cover device 102 of Figure 2 is identical to that of Figure 1 except that the body 104 is shaped and sized such that it fits over the neck of a bottle (not shown) , typically the neck of a bottle of beer .

The embodiment of the cover device 202 of Figure 3 is identical to that of Figure 1 except for the provision of an alternative adhering means in the form of a strap 23. The strap 23 is attached at one end 24 to the end 12 of the body, and includes a self-adhesive portion 26 at the free end 28 of the strap 23. In order to attach the device 202 to the drink container, the body 4 is slipped over the drink . container and then the self-adhesive portion 26 is adhered to the body 4 of 'the device 202 in order to maintain the device 202 in place on the drink container . Although the embodiment of Figure 3 shows a generally rectangular self-adhesive portion 26, it is to be appreciated that , alternatively, the self-adhesive portion 26 could be ring-shaped . Such a ring-shaped self-adhesive portion allows for the cover device to be slipped over the neck of a bottle and stored thereon, for example, before the cover device is adhered to the bottle .

It is to be appreciated that although the cover device 202 of Figure 3 includes a perforation means 14 running around the periphery of the body 4 , the perforation means may alternatively be a perforated line running longitudinally from the end 12 of the body 4 towards the closed end 6 of the cover device 202.

The embodiment of the cover device 302 of Figure 4 is identical to that of Figure 1 except for the provision of a perforation means in the form of a perforated line 28 running longitudinally from the end 12 of the body 4 towards the closed end 6 of the cover device 302.

In a similar fashion to the embodiment of Figure 3 , in order to gain access to the drink container, a user simply tears along the perforated line 28 and then pulls the body 4 of the device 302 down over the entrance to the drink container, thereby exposing the entrance to the drink container .

The embodiment of the cover device 402 of Figure 5 is identical to that of Figure 1 except for the provision of an aperture 30 in the body 4 , and a drinking straw 34 passing through the aperture 30 and into the drink container . The handle 16 also includes an aperture 36 through which the upper end of the drinking straw 34 locates . The drinking straw 34 incorporates a U-bend 38 , which substantially prevents tampering by means of a liquid, yet still allows a user to drink their drink .

It is to be appreciated however, that as an alternative to providing an aperture 30 in the body 4 through which the drinking straw 34 locates , the drinking straw 34 may pass into the drink container via the open end 12 of the body 4 , thereby avoiding the need to make any modification such as an aperture to the cover device 402.

The cover device, several examples of which are described above , provides a convenient, non-cumbersome, disposable, and easy to use means of preventing a drink from being tampered with, and which can easily be kept in a user' s pocket or handbag in its flattened form, during the course of an evening, and used when required .

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiments have been described by way of example only, and not in any limitative sense, and that

various alternatives and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .